Rail vehicle with frontal curved sliding door and method for coupling and decoupling rail vehicles

ABSTRACT

A rail vehicle with a device for opening and closing a front end of the vehicle. The device includes a turning device with a laterally displaceable curved sliding door that closes the front of the rail vehicle in a first position and allows frontal access to the rail vehicle in a second position, wherein the turning angle is no more than 90°.

BACKGROUND

The invention pertains to the field of rail vehicle technology andconcerns a rail vehicle with a curved sliding door for closing a frontend of the vehicle.

For economic reasons, it is desirable to adapt the length of railvehicle trains to the respective passenger volume by shortening orlengthening the train, i.e., by changing the number of operationallycoupled vehicles, in order to prevent the train from operating belowcapacity. In this case, individual rail vehicles are coupled to ordecoupled from the train, wherein this is usually carried out inworkshops. Since modern rail vehicle trains comprise rail vehicles thatare connected in a continuously accessible fashion, this type ofadaptation is associated with special requirements because the crossingsbetween the individual rail vehicles need to be reliably disconnectedfrom or connected to one another for the passengers and open crossingsneeds to be suitably closed.

EP 0 187 413 B1 discloses a rail vehicle with a device for closing afront end of the vehicle. The device comprises a hinged door with awindow, on the inner side of which a control panel is provided. Thehinged door can be opened in order to provide a passage to a coupledrail vehicle.

Sliding doors are known from the field of building services engineering,for example from DE 10 2007 019 214 A1 and JP 2006-348723.

However, the known solution is not entirely satisfactory because itrequires a relatively large space and in the opened state significantlyrestricts the clear width of the passenger compartment in the region ofthe opened passage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The attached drawings show embodiments of the invention and serve forelucidating the principles of the invention together with thedescription. The elements of the drawings are relative to one anotherand not necessarily true-to-scale. Identical reference symbolsaccordingly identify similar components.

FIG. 1 shows the front end of a rail vehicle with a closed curvedsliding door.

FIG. 2 shows two coupled rail vehicles, wherein one of the rail vehiclescomprises a curved sliding door that allows the passage to the adjacentrail vehicle.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective representation of the front end of a railvehicle with a curved sliding door in the first (closed) position.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective representation of the front end of a railvehicle with a curved sliding door in the second (open) position.

FIG. 5 shows a rotatably supported turntable on the ceiling sideaccording to one embodiment.

FIG. 6 shows a sectional representation of the support of the turntableon the floor side.

FIG. 7 shows a detail of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention provides a rail vehicle that can be easily andreliably coupled and decoupled and simultaneously makes it possible toreliably produce a connecting passage and to reliably produce atermination without having to transfer the trains into a workshop.Instead, it should be possible to carry out this coupling or decouplingat any location in the railway network, at which such a procedure isdeemed necessary operationally and with respect to providing ademand-oriented capacity.

This objective is attained with a rail vehicle according to claim 1.This objective is furthermore attained with a method according to claim16 or 18. Other embodiments, modifications and improvements result fromthe following description and the attached claims.

According to one embodiment, a rail vehicle with a device for openingand closing a front end of the vehicle is proposed. The device comprisesa curved sliding door that is connected to at least one turning deviceand can be laterally displaced, or is laterally slidable, wherein thiscurved sliding door closes the rail vehicle on its front end in a firstposition and allows frontal access to the rail vehicle in a secondposition, and wherein the turning angle essentially amounts to no morethan 90°.

The design of the frontally arranged door in the form of a curvedsliding door represents a simple and robust constructive solution. Itallows an increased load bearing capacity, for example, of convexsurfaces for door constructions in rail vehicles, particularly anincreased stability against the high stresses occurring on a frontaldoor or a frontal window due to the relative wind. The curved slidingdoor is used as crossing termination. The turning device can be turnedby a maximum turning angle of 90°, for example between the first andsecond position. This suffices for completely opening or closing thedoor.

The proposed solution furthermore makes it possible to reliably andautomatically shorten or lengthen rail vehicle trains such as, forexample, subway trains during their operational use without requiringpersonnel at the coupling point. The solution is suitable for use inmetro trains or commuter trains with wide and open crossings at anyarbitrary location of the interconnected train. This enables theoperator to immediately react to a changing passenger volume during theday with a quickly adaptable vehicle configuration. Interconnectedtrains that are adapted in accordance with the passenger volume preventthe inefficient utilization (empty running) of individual vehicles andtherefore lower the energy consumption, the maintenance costs andultimately the operating costs. Personnel costs are also saved due tothe fully automatic coupling and decoupling function.

Another advantage can be seen in that the curved sliding door can beguided, for example, behind screens or the like or in the first positionengage into recesses or behind screens on both sides or on the side ofthe doorstop. This increases the reliability because the curved slidingdoor is held on both sides. In addition, a lateral displacement can bereliably prevented with suitable measures such as, for example, blockingof the turning device.

The curved sliding door can be curved, for example, in the shape of asection of the surface of a circular cylinder. This arrangement is veryspace-saving. Other shapes are also possible. For example, the curvedsliding door can also be plane or partially curved. It would furthermorebe possible that the outer side of the curved sliding door is curved,for example, in the shape of a section of the surface of a circularcylinder while the inner side is plane or only slightly curved. In thecontext of the present application, the term “curved sliding door”describes a door that essentially is laterally displaced along an arcand, in particular, a circular arc. However, a special shape of the dooris not required.

According to one embodiment, the turning device and a horizontal innersurface of the rail vehicle essentially form one plane. In this way, acontinuous floor without steps is formed that on the one hand improvesthe comfort and on the other hand increases the passenger safety.

According to one embodiment, the turning device comprises a bottomand/or top turntable or rotary ring that is or are rotatably supportedabout an axis of rotation and is or are rigidly connected to and guidesor guide the curved sliding door. According to one embodiment, theturning device comprises a turntable on the floor side that is rotatablysupported about the axis of rotation and a turntable on the ceiling sidethat is rotatably supported about the axis of rotation, wherein saidturntables are rigidly connected to the curved sliding door and axiallyconnected to one another by means of a connecting element.

The turning device can comprise a turntable in the floor and/or ceilingthat guides the curved sliding door. This turntable or these turntablessecure and guide the curved sliding door and increase its load bearingcapacity. The double guidance by means of turntables on the side of thefloor and on the side of the ceiling results in an improved stability.It is also possible to combine the turntable on the floor side with aguide rail on the ceiling side. It is likewise possible to combine aturntable on the ceiling side with a guide rail on the floor side.

The connecting element can be realized, for example, in the form of arod or a tube that additionally improves the stability. In addition, theconnecting element that is typically arranged coaxial to the turntablescan simultaneously serve as a handrail for passengers. The connectingelement can also be realized in the form of a shaft for transmitting atorque if only one of the two turntables or only the connecting elementis directly driven.

According to one embodiment, the turning device is supported in atorsionally elastic fashion, wherein individual rollers or rollersegments that are designed for absorbing passenger loads are used forcarrying the turntable on the floor side. An advantage of such a supportcan be seen in the low-maintenance operation of such individual rollersor roller segments, as well as in the uniform load distribution.

According to one embodiment, the turning device comprises a rail thatextends around an axis of rotation along a segment of a circular arc andlaterally guides the curved sliding door. The rail can generally becurved and is typically designed in such a way that the curved slidingdoor is laterally slidable in or on the rail. As mentioned above,individual rollers or roller segments can run in or on the curved railand simultaneously carry the load of the curved sliding door. Therealization of the turning device in the form of a curved railrepresents a very space-saving solution.

According to one embodiment, the axis of rotation of the turning deviceextends perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rail vehicle.An axis of rotation that is centrally arranged in the vehicle centremakes it possible, if applicable, to symmetrically displace the curvedsliding door to both sides. A handrail can be realized along the axis ofrotation and produce a mechanical connection between the vehicle floorand the vehicle ceiling directly in the centre of the aisle.

The turntable and the rail are largely installed flush in the floorand/or the ceiling. The top and the bottom turntable can be centrallyconnected to one another for stabilization purposes. The top and thebottom turntable are connected to one another independently thereof intheir edge regions by means of the curved sliding door.

According to one embodiment, the device comprises locking elements forlocking the curved sliding door in the first (closed) and/or the second(open) position. The locking elements can be directly engaged with andseparably lock the curved sliding door. However, it is also possiblethat the locking elements act upon the turntable or a drive used formoving the curved sliding door. All in all, the locking elements make itpossible to produce a rigid yet separable or unlockable connection. Inthis case, the connecting elements can be connected to one another bymeans of mechanical and/or electromechanical and/or magnetic and/orelectromagnetic adherence or catch devices.

When the curved sliding door is in the first position, it is laterallysealed in an airtight and/or watertight fashion. This can be realized bymeans of the locking elements. Sealing elements can be alternatively oradditionally utilized.

According to one embodiment, the device is adapted in such a way that achange between the first position and the second position of the curvedsliding door depends on the occupancy status of a vehicle coupling ofthe rail vehicle, wherein the second position can only be assumed in acompletely coupled state.

According to one embodiment, the device is adapted in such a way that achange between the first position and the second position of the curvedsliding door depends on the occupancy status of a vehicle coupling ofthe rail vehicle, wherein the first position is automatically assumedwhen a decoupling operation or process is initiated.

The displacement or slide of the curved sliding door therefore takesplace in dependence on the coupling status only. This coupling statusdefines whether or not it is possible to slide or displace the curvedsliding door. For example, the curved sliding door can only bedisplaced, in particular, into the second position in order to accessthe passenger compartment from the front side of the vehicle in acompletely coupled state in order to reliably prevent accidents. In amanner of speaking, the sliding or displacement represents the end ofthe entire coupling operation or process or the beginning of thedecoupling operation or process.

During a decoupling operation or process, in contrast, the curvedsliding door is initially slid, or laterally displaced, into the firstposition in order to close the vehicle end, i.e., in a generally stillcompletely coupled state. Consequently, the curved sliding door can onlybe displaced from the first position into the second position and viceversa in a completely coupled state.

According to one embodiment, the device for closing the front end of avehicle comprises a drive for laterally displacing the curved slidingdoor, wherein the drive can be arranged, in particular, stationaryrelative to the rail vehicle outside the turning device. According toone embodiment, the drive comprises a linear drive. According to anotherembodiment, the drive comprises a rotary drive. According to yet anotherembodiment, the drive comprises a friction drive. The drive can compriseor consist of an electric and/or manual and/or hydraulic and/orpneumatic drive including any combination. Linear drives preferably actdirectly upon the curved sliding door, for example, if it is guided in arail. Rotary drives are preferably used in connection with turntables,wherein these turntables can also be driven by means of linear drivesrealized, for example, in the form of hydraulic cylinders. In additionto the drives that can be used for an automatic actuation, the curvedsliding door can alternatively or additionally also be displacedmanually by means of a suitable actuating device.

According to one embodiment, the drive is arranged on the outer side ofthe turntable, wherein the turntable comprises a gear rim that isengaged with a driven pinion gear. The gear rim does not have to extendover the entire circumference because only rotations of approximately90° are typically carried out. The curved sliding door can be preciselymoved into both positions with a suitable transmission ratio. A suitableminimal incrementation of the drive also provides the advantage of asimple and precise control without an additional gear mechanism. Inaddition, the force to be generated for a position change can berealized comparatively low with a corresponding transmission ratio suchthat driving motors with less power can also be used. With respect to amanual drive, this reduces the force to be exerted by the operator. Afriction drive can also be used instead of the drive with a gear rim.

According to one embodiment, the device for closing the front end of avehicle comprises a control unit for controlling the drive and a sensorfor detecting persons and/or objects that is connected to the controlunit. The control unit only makes it possible to change the curvedsliding door between the first position and the second position if nopersons and/or objects were detected by the sensor at least in theregion of the device. The change of position basically takes place inthe empty state of the rail vehicle that needs to be operationallyensured, e.g., during a turnaround of the train.

A change between the first position and the second position of thecurved sliding door is defined by an output signal of the sensor on thefront end of the vehicle that makes it possible to reliably distinguishbetween the presence and/or absence of persons, particularly childrenand infants, domestic animals and/or farm animals. This measure alsopromotes the operational safety and the accident prevention and, ifapplicable, allows an automatic coupling and decoupling of the railvehicle. It would also be possible to monitor the region of the rotarydevice with a video monitoring system such that the release fordisplacing the curved sliding door or generally the release for acoupling or decoupling operation or process can take place manually. Inthis case, the actual coupling or decoupling operation can take placeautomatically after the release. Additional monitoring by means of thesensor or sensors then ensures that the coupling operation and, inparticular, the sliding, or lateral displacement, of the curved slidingdoor are automatically interrupted when a person enters the monitoredregion.

According to one embodiment, the curved sliding door has an inner sideand an outer side, wherein one or more passenger seats and/or a luggagerack and/or a bicycle rack and/or a driver's desk is or are optionallyarranged on the inner side of the curved sliding door and can bedisplaced together with the curved sliding door. This provides theadvantage that a rail vehicle, the front end of which is closed by meansof the curved sliding door, can be used as front vehicle of a railvehicle train (interconnected train) if a driver's desk is arranged onthe inner side of the curved sliding door.

According to one embodiment, the curved sliding door is realized withsuch a stability that the front end of the vehicle can be used as aleading end of the rail vehicle train.

According to one embodiment, the curved sliding door comprises on itsouter side a luminaire and/or a floodlight and/or a reflector that canbe utilized when the rail vehicle is used as leading or trailing end ofthe rail vehicle train.

According to one embodiment, the front end of the vehicle comprises apneumatically sprung rubber crossing or a bellows crossing. Crossings ofthis type seal the passage between coupled rail vehicles relative to theoutside and prevent the admission of air, water or contaminants and dirtparticles in the coupled state.

According to one embodiment, a method for coupling rail vehicles that ontheir facing front ends respectively comprise a device for opening andclosing the vehicle ends is proposed. In this case, the rail vehiclesare moved relative toward one another with respectively closed vehicleends until automatic couplings of the rail vehicles produce electricaland mechanical connections between the two rail vehicles. After the railvehicles have been coupled to one another, a passenger crossing bridgeis produced between the coupled rail vehicles and a passage forpassengers is ultimately released between the coupled rail vehicles bylaterally displacing the respective curved sliding doors into the secondposition. The rail vehicles are typically moved toward one another witha defined coupling speed. This may take place automatically, wherein itis relevant if either of the two rail vehicles or both rail vehiclesis/are moved.

According to one embodiment, a sensor ensures that no persons and/orobjects are situated in the region of the turning device before thecoupling operation is initiated.

According to one embodiment, a method for decoupling rail vehicles thatare coupled to one another and on their facing front ends respectivelycomprise a device for opening and closing the vehicle ends is madeavailable. In this case, it is initially verified that no persons orobjects are situated in the region of the passage between the twocoupled rail vehicles, as well as in the region of the respectiveturning device. If these regions are clear, the front ends of thecoupled rail vehicles are closed by laterally displacing the respectivecurved sliding doors into the first position and the rail vehicles aredecoupled.

The proposed solution can be designed for manual, semiautomatic andautomatic operation and is particularly suitable for use in local publictransport, for example in the metro systems. In addition, this solutioncan also be used in other vehicle segments such as people movers,regional trains, light rail vehicles (LRV) and high-speed trains.

The above-described embodiments can be arbitrarily combined with oneanother.

FIG. 1 schematically shows a view of the front end 1 of a rail vehicle 4with a railcar body 3, a vehicle coupling 5, a pediment or front end 6that is realized in the form of a bellows in this case and a rotatablysupported turntable 7 on the floor side with integrated equipment 8 in afirst, closed position of the curved sliding door 9.

FIG. 2 schematically shows a view of a vehicle crossing 2 between thecoupled front ends 1A and 1B of two rail vehicles 4A, 4B. The rotatablysupported turntable 7 (rotary platform) is in its second position thatallows the passage at the front end from the first vehicle 1A to thesecond vehicle 1B and vice versa. The curved sliding door 9 canapproximately correspond to the surface area of a half cylinder or aquarter cylinder or lie in between.

The curved sliding door 9 can cover the clear cross-sectional area ofthe vehicle crossing with transparent or with non-transparent materials.

FIG. 3 shows the front end 1 of a rail vehicle 4 with a disengagedcoupling 5 and a curved sliding door 9 in the first, closed position. Inthis case, the curved sliding door 9 is completely transparent andequipped with a bench 8 on its inner side. The curved sliding door 9 isconnected to a plate or turntable 7 that is rotatably supported on thevehicle floor. The rotatably supported turntable 7 on the floor side isconnected to a rotary disk 10 on the vehicle ceiling by means of a rod11.

FIG. 4 schematically shows a view of a front end 1 of a rail vehicle 4with a curved sliding door 9 in the second, open position of the curvedsliding door 9. The coupled second rail vehicle is not illustrated inthis figure in order to provide a better view into the passage betweenthe adjacent rail vehicles 4 that is released in the second position.This is the reason why the coupling 5 appears to be disengaged. Thecurved sliding door 9 with the equipment 8 arranged on its inner side12, in this case a bench, releases the passage to the coupled railvehicle. A rod 11 or a tube connects the turntable 7 on the floor sideto a rotary disk 10 on the ceiling of the rail vehicle 3. During achange between the first and the second position of the revolving door9, the turntable 7 on the floor side and the rotary disk 10 are able tojointly turn about the axis of rotation that perpendicularly extendsthrough the pivot point 13. In this case, the axis of rotation of theconnection 11 between the floor plate 7 and the rotary disk 10 can berealized, for example, in the form of a handrail and run through an axisof symmetry extending adjacent to or along the vehicle centre or a planeof symmetry extending vertically.

FIG. 5 shows the arrangement of the turntable 7 in the floor 14 of therail vehicle. The axis of rotation of the circular turntable 7 extendsthrough the centre of the turntable 7 in the example shown and isrealized as a rigid connection in the form of a handrail 11 in thiscase. A gap 15 extends between the bottom 14 of the rail vehicle and theturntable 7 on the floor side. This gap 15 can be largely closed with asuitable edge design. A plane of section through the floor plate isidentified by the reference symbol AA and illustrated in FIG. 6.

FIG. 6 shows a section through the central pivot point of the turntable7 on the floor side. On its underside, the turntable 7 is equipped witha plurality of support wheels 16. The support wheels 16 or rollers 16run in a continuous recess 17 of the vehicle floor 14 in this case.During a change in position of the curved sliding door 9 from a firstinto a second position or vice versa, the plate 7 on the floor side thatis connected to the curved sliding door 9 is moved on its outer side bymeans of a drive 18. The outer side of the plate 7 on the floor side canbe at least sectionally realized in the form of a toothed rack moved bythe drive 18 that is rigidly connected to the railcar body 3. A piniongear can be arranged on the axis of the drive 18 for this purpose. Thedrive can comprise or consist of an electric motor or be manuallyoperated by means of a (not-shown) rod assembly.

FIG. 7 shows a detail of an embodiment of the connecting point betweenthe vehicle floor 14 and the turntable 7 with load-absorbing supportwheels 16 on the floor side. The support wheels 16 are mounted on theunderside of the turntable 7 on the floor side and run in a recess 17 inthe floor 14 of the rail vehicle. This recess 17 can also be realized inthe form of a curved rail.

The proposed solution is based on the principle of closing the front endof the rail vehicle without a fixed driver's station by means of arotatable device. This rotatable device functions similar to a ballvalve in pipelines. In the open position, conventional passenger trafficbetween two vehicles is possible while the vehicle end is sealed in acompletely tight fashion in the closed position.

In addition, equipment objects (e.g., a front wall and passenger seatsor a driver's desk) can be moved on the rotatable turntable 7 in such away that the crossing either allows the free passage between two coupledvehicles or the vehicle end is reliably closed and provides additionalseats or space for bicycles.

In normal instances, the rail vehicles 4, 4A, 4B are operatedconventionally, i.e., the railcar bodies 3 are securely connected bymeans of the coupling 5 and the passengers can change between the railvehicles as required via the coupled crossing 2. In this case, theturntable 7 is in the idle position and the seats shown are arrangedlaterally as indicated in FIG. 1.

If so required, the rail vehicles 4, 4A, 4B can be decoupled and theopen vehicle end can be closed by means of the curved sliding door 9connected to the turntable 7.

In order to couple two rail vehicles to one another, they are movedtogether with a defined coupling speed such that the automatic coupling5 produces a mechanical and electrical connection. Once this couplingoperation is completed, the crossing bellows 6 is also automaticallyconnected. In the case of bellows crossings, the two halves aremechanically interlocked. In the variation with pneumatically sprungrubber crossings, the connection is produced exclusively due to thecontact pressure between the two halves exerted by the coupling 5.During this process, a crossing bridge is also automatically produced.In the last step, the turntable 7 in both vehicle ends turns by 90° andreleases the passage for the passengers. This step completes thecoupling operation. The entire operation takes place automaticallywithout the presence of personnel. The end region of the vehicle needsto be clear of passengers during the coupling operation. A correspondingsensor arrangement 20 ensures that the individual processes take placein sequence and that a reliably locked state is achieved.

In order to initiate a decoupling operation, it is initially verifiedthat the region of the turning device is clear of persons and movableobjects. After verifying the absence of passengers, the turntables 7 inboth vehicle ends are turned by 90° such that the respective vehicleends are completely closed. Subsequently, the halves of thepneumatically sprung rubber crossing or the crossing bellows 6 areunlocked and, if applicable, crossing bridges are retracted and themechanical and electrical coupling 5 is automatically decoupled. The tworail vehicles can then move apart from one another. This decouplingoperation can take place in a completely automated fashion without thepresence or intervention of personnel. However, a manual intervention ispossible, for example, in order to react to malfunctions or emergencies.

According to another embodiment, the sensor 20 can be realized in theform of a proximity sensor or motion sensor that operates, for example,on the basis of ultrasound or infrared radiation. It would also bepossible to utilize inductive or capacitive, electronic, optical ormechanical sensors 20. The sensor 20 has the function of reliablydetecting the presence and/or absence of persons and movable objects inthe front region of the rail vehicle 4 and of preventing the initiationof a coupling or decoupling operation as long as persons and/or objectsare situated on the front end 1, 1A, 1B.

In a preferred embodiment, the turning device either comprise or consistof a combination of a turntable on the floor side and a rotary disk onthe ceiling side or of an annular segment such as, for example, a railthat is largely installed flush in the floor and in the ceiling. Theupper and the lower turntable/rotary disk are connected to one anotherby the curved sliding door. In order to achieve an additionalstabilization, they can be centrally connected to one another, e.g., bymeans of a central tube that can simultaneously function as a handrail.

The curved sliding door that forms the crossing termination is eitherrealized transparently (e.g. of safety glass or polycarbonate) or ofnon-transparent solid material (e.g. in the form of a sandwich element)or in the form of a combination thereof. In addition, the curved slidingdoor can be realized in an airtight and/or watertight fashion on itslateral ends, for example, by means of suitable seals. The entirecrossing termination, i.e., the curved sliding door including itsanchoring, has such a stability that it is able to withstand therelative wind stresses as a leading train vehicle according to validstandards and is designed in accordance with valid standards withrespect to the admission of foreign matter. When utilizing transparentmaterial, a windshield wiper can be additionally arranged on the curvedsliding door. In both instances, marker lights can be installed on thepartition wall.

The turntable/rotary disk or ring segment is turned by a drive. A purelymechanical drive with manual actuation would optionally also bepossible. The drive can be realized in a purely mechanical fashion, butalso electrically or hydraulically or pneumatically. The drive can bearranged centrally, e.g., in the form of a geared motor drive, but alsolaterally above the bottom or top disk with the aid of linearly actingdrives (e.g. hydraulic cylinders). The drive locks in the end positionssuch that no motion can occur while the rail vehicle is in motion.Another drive option comprises or consists of the utilization of a gearrim with a pinion gear.

In the variation with a bellows crossing, a device recessed into the endof the bellows automatically locks and unlocks the two crossing halveswith the aid of an electric, pneumatic or hydraulic drive. This lockprevents the two crossing halves from shifting relative to one another,e.g., while the rail vehicle travels through curves.

The design of the door arranged on the front end of the rail vehicle inthe form of a curved sliding door 9 represents a simple and robusttechnical implementation of such a door without having to rely on anotherwise obligatory hinge for a hinged door leaf. A hinged door leafthat is abruptly opened under impact pressure can represent a danger forpersons standing behind the door, but a curved sliding door is largelysupported symmetrically under impact pressure and practically cannot beopened due to impact pressure. With respect to the construction of railvehicles, the design of the door in the form of a curved sliding doormakes it possible to realize a load bearing capacity of the door leaffrom the convex side that is increased in comparison with planesurfaces, particularly against the high stresses that occur on the frontof the vehicle due to the relative wind.

The above-described embodiments can be arbitrarily combined with oneanother.

Although specific embodiments are illustrated and described in thisapplication, the scope of the present invention also includes suitablemodifications of the described embodiments without deviating from thescope of validity of the present invention. The following claimsrepresent a first, nonbinding attempt to generally define the invention.

What is claimed is: 1-18. (canceled)
 19. A rail vehicle with a devicefor opening and closing a front end of the vehicle, comprising: a curvedsliding door connected to at least one turning device and can belaterally displaced, wherein the curved sliding door closes the front ofthe rail vehicle in a first position and allows frontal access to therail vehicle in a second position, and wherein a turning angle of thecurved sliding door is no more than 90°.
 20. The rail vehicle accordingto claim 19, wherein the turning device and a horizontal inner surfaceof the rail vehicle substantially form one plane.
 21. The rail vehicleaccording to claim 19, wherein the turning device comprises a turntableand a rotary ring on the floor side or the ceiling side that isrotatably supported about an axis of rotation and rigidly connected tothe curved sliding door.
 22. The rail vehicle according to claim 21,wherein the turning device comprises a first turntable on a floor sidethat is rotatably supported about the axis of rotation and a secondturntable on a ceiling side that is rotatably supported about the axisof rotation, wherein the first and second turntables are rigidlyconnected to the curved sliding door and axially connected to oneanother by a connecting element.
 23. The rail vehicle according to claim21, wherein the turning device is supported in a torsionally elasticfashion, wherein individual rollers or roller segments that are designedfor absorbing passenger loads are used for supporting the firstturntable on the floor side.
 24. The rail vehicle according to claim 19,wherein the turning device comprises a rail that extends around an axisof rotation along a segment of a circular arc and laterally guides thecurved sliding door.
 25. The rail vehicle according to claim 19, whereinthe axis of rotation of the turning device extends perpendicular to thelongitudinal direction of the rail vehicle.
 26. The rail vehicleaccording to claim 19, wherein the device for opening and closing thefront end comprises locking elements for locking the curved sliding doorin the first and/or the second position.
 27. The rail vehicle accordingto claim 19, wherein the device for opening and closing the front end isconfigured such that a change between the first position and the secondposition of the curved sliding door depends on the occupancy status of avehicle coupling of the rail vehicle, wherein the second position canonly be assumed in a completely coupled state.
 28. The rail vehicleaccording to claim 19, wherein the device for opening and closing thefront end is configured such that a change between the first positionand the second position of the curved sliding door depends on theoccupancy status of a vehicle coupling of the rail vehicle, wherein thefirst position is automatically assumed when a decoupling operation isinitiated
 29. The rail vehicle according to claim 19, wherein the devicefor opening and closing the front end comprises a drive for laterallydisplacing the curved sliding door, wherein the drive is arrangedstationary relative to the rail vehicle and outside the turning device.30. The rail vehicle according to claim 29, wherein the drive comprisesone of a linear drive, a rotary drive or a friction drive.
 31. The railvehicle according to claim 29, wherein the device comprises a controlunit for controlling the drive and a sensor that is connected to thecontrol unit and serves for detecting persons and/or objects, whereinthe control unit only allows a change between the first position and thesecond position of the curved sliding door if no persons and/or objectswere detected by the sensor at least in the region of the device. 32.The rail vehicle according to claim 19, wherein the curved sliding doorhas an inner side and an outer side, and in that at least one decorativeinner surface and/or at least one passenger seat and/or at least oneluggage rack and/or at least one bicycle rack and/or a driver's desk isarranged on the inner side and can be displaced together with the curvedsliding door.
 33. The rail vehicle according to claim 19, wherein thecurved sliding door is realized with such a stability that the front endof the vehicle can be used as leading or trailing end of a train.
 34. Amethod for coupling rail vehicles that on their facing front endsrespectively comprise a device for opening and closing the vehicle endsaccording to claim 19 comprising: moving the rail vehicles relativetoward one another with respectively closed vehicle ends until automaticcouplings of the rail vehicles produce electrical and mechanicalconnections between the two rail vehicles; after the rail vehicles havebeen coupled to one another, producing a passenger crossing bridgebetween the coupled rail vehicles; and releasing a passage forpassengers between the coupled rail vehicles by laterally displacing therespective curved sliding doors into the second position.
 35. The methodaccording to claim 34, comprising sensing to verify that no personsand/or objects are situated at least in the region of the turning devicebefore a coupling operation is initiated.
 36. A method for decouplingcoupled rail vehicles that on their facing front ends respectivelycomprise a device for opening and closing the vehicle ends according toclaim 19 comprising: initially verifying that no persons or objects aresituated in the region of the passage between the two coupled railvehicles, as well as at least in the region of the respective turningdevice; closing the front ends of the coupled rail vehicles by laterallydisplacing the respective curved sliding doors into the first position;and decoupling the rail vehicles.